Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., is sworn in to the 113th Congress by House Speaker John Boehner. Husband Dan Beutler is in the middle. / Cliff Owen, AP

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., announced Wednesday that she is pregnant with her first child and is due this fall.

While that may not seem terribly newsy to people outside of her district, Beutler's pregnancy is a rarity inside the halls of Congress. There haven't been many women in the House or Senate who have given birth while in office.

"My husband Dan and I are thrilled to announce that this fall, there will be yet another person in Southwest Washington who will for their entire adult life get to explain, 'No, no, it's pronounced Butler.' That's right -- we're expecting a baby," she wrote on Facebook.

The ranks of women on Capitol Hill has been growing, with a record 101 women (including non-voting members) in the 113th Congress. Herrera Beutler, 34, is in her second term and chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues.

A little history to put the baby news in perspective: Democrat Yvonne Braithwaite Burke is believed to be the first woman in Congress to give birth while in office in 1973, to a daughter. More recently, Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Herrera Beutler's former boss) has had two children while serving in the House. Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., proudly notes in her bio that she is the eighth woman to give birth while in Congress.